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Synonyms

improv

American  
[im-prov] / ˈɪm prɒv /

noun

Informal.

  1. improvisation.

improv British  
/ ˈɪmprɒv /

noun

  1. improvised performance, esp by a comedian

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of improv

By shortening

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

And because you love laughing, consider checking out Hollywood Improv, which hosts multiple events throughout the week.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2026

Enter the Mermaid Comedy Hour, a monthly show at the Hollywood Improv that books only women and nonbinary comics.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 6, 2025

Then there’s their last reunion in L.A. when all three comedians got on stage to perform during Barbosa’s set at the Hollywood Improv on Jan. 21, just a week before Flores’ death.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2025

Guards remembered seeing him perform at the Ontario Improv.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 27, 2024

Improv is my weakest skill, according to Libby.

From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.